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Sean Kumar - VP Growth

Maintenance. The very word can ignite stress in property managers that deal with maintenance issues on a daily basis. While this is an inherent aspect of property management – some maintenance issues are exceptionally annoying!

Let’s look at some examples of the most frustrating, recurring maintenance issues, and how to deal with them. From hunting down lazy contractors to working with difficult tenants – we have compiled an accurate list of the biggest maintenance pain points that drive property managers crazy!

1. Leaseholders who make formal complaints about standard maintenance issueswhen there is absolutely no need! Sometimes what a leaseholder views as a complaint is nothing more than a routine maintenance issue. A formal complaint is intended to be used only as a last resort when a leaseholder has already reported the issue and has not received a satisfactory resolution.

Life happens. Stuff breaks! I don’t know about you, but I for one, have never heard of an air conditioner backed by a lifetime warranty! It’s so frustrating to try to get this through the heads of leaseholders – when something breaks or is not working properly – just call and your property manager will be happy to resolve the issue. Filing a formal complaint about a minor maintenance issue is just overkill.

2. Tenants who dump items at the end of the tenancy or just dump rubbish and expect someone else to clear it away. Every property manager is familiar with this scenario. Someone decides to move out of a property and leaves a wicked mess behind. Happens. All. The. Time! Obviously, it’s then up to the property manager deal with the leftovers.

Leaving a terrible mess behind is an ugly scenario – but another, perhaps more aggravating issue, is tenants that habitually dump debris, non-trash items, and trash around the property or in inappropriate bins.

3. Contractors who don’t follow up on jobs which means you have to chase endlessly on maintenance issues. You pass along an issue to the contractor that assures you; he is all over it. It’s getting done. Don’t worry. Then, before you know it, you are receiving a repeat call from the tenant that the issue is still not resolved. You find yourself on the tail of the contractor to ensure that the work is actually completed.

There is a more efficient way to identify maintenance issues and follow up on these tasks. Access the inspection report for the property in SnapInspect and make notes on any issues or repairs that need to be addressed. This tool can help you better track and manage progress on rental problems. If this is a contractor you work with frequently, consider adding them to your SnapInspect team, which means they will see the flagged issues and when they complete the tasks, they can add a note in the system in real-time, and you will be able to see when the work is actually completed.

4. Contractors who say they will go to the site and quote an estimate but never show up. Unfortunately, this nightmare is something property managers deal with on a routine business. You would think the contractor would be happy for the work and show up and offer a price, right? Nope.

It’s really just a waste of your time and energy to chase the no-show contractor, and it’s best just to move on. Be sure to cross them out for future calls. Forget about them; they had their chance 😉

5. Utilities companies that will not respond to your inquiries. Property managers are generally very organized people that like to have control over situations. If there is one thing that drives them absolutely nuts, it’s having an issue that requires immediate attention (or at least the leaseholder feels it’s urgent) and needing to rely on a third-party to resolve the issue.

So, when you are contacting a utility company about an issue, and they offer no response, this can be a very sticky situation to be in, especially when a leaseholder is waiting for resolution.

Always use your best judgment on the severity of the situation. If it’s something you would classify as “urgent” – such as a disconnection or interruption of service – it’s appropriate to ask for a manager to handle your inquiry. And be persistent in pursuing the issue until it’s been resolved.

As a property manager, you are expected to wear multiple hats in order to maintain leaseholder and property owner satisfaction. Ensuring proper maintenance of all assets is one of your biggest responsibilities – and our goal is to make the process easier on you in any way possible. Swing by SnapInspect and start your risk-free trial of our home inspection app that can help you organize your ongoing maintenance inquiries.

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